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Sarah and Nancy discuss the Atlantic story “The Anti-Social Century,” about how much of modern life is being lived in isolation. They talk about eating alone, parasocial relationships, and why Sarah feels completely nailed by the data point that “the typical female pet owner spends more time actively engaged with her pet than she spends in face-to-face contact with friends of her own species.”

Also discussed:

* Okay, we’ll talk about that thing Elon did

* Is the blue/gold dress the metaphor of our times?

* Trump is the candidate Americans built brick-by-brick

* Who did Nancy write-in for president 2024? This guy…

* Gotta agree with Sarah’s old roommate on the Kleenex thing

* Shark Tank love

* McLuhan: “Every augmentation is an amputation”

* Sarah finds listening to Jon Ronson is “deeply edifying”

* Nancy is impressed — again! — with the concept “skin hunger”

* Someone admits to watching Rock of Love

* Character.ai: Let us know if you’re using it!

* Late-breaking Oscar nominations

Plus, the generosity of David Lynch’s dreamscapes, “let me sell you a solution to a problem you didn’t know you had,” Sarah requests you send her postcards stating your favorite hm-hm-hm, and much more!